I guess I should have decided against this book when I read that it deals with parallel universes, but it's Jessica Brody and I love her! I think I should have gone with my gut, though, because I did not enjoy this book enough to finish it (so I skimmed). I was so annoyed with Kennedy for giving up her dream for a BOY. This is high school! Why would you make a dumb decision like that? And why would her parents let her?? I just don't think this is the kind of "inspirational" story teen girls need today. The cheating aspect also bothered me. And for Kennedy to just forgive them both like nothing ever happened? That bugged me so much. I just.., I'm asking myself "why!?" about so much of this book. A real disappointment.

The plot for this book was a good one, but actually reading it was another story. This book was very predictable.

Previously, I’ve only tried Jessica Brody’s science fiction (Unremembered), and it…didn’t do a lot for me. Despite that, I’ve had a few of her contemporary novels on my list forever but never gotten around to them. In Some Other Life appealed to me for that most classic of reasons: the cover’s cute. So sue me (actually, don’t, please). In Some Other Life is a fluffier readalike for Kasie West’s debut Pivot Point, and I liked it quite a bit.


Kennedy Rhodes turned down an elite private high school because her long-term crush wanted to date her; she decided to stick with public school in order to be with him. Three years after she let her shot at the private school go by, Kennedy discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend. Despite her other big accomplishments (great grades, editor of an award-winning school newspaper), Kennedy regrets that missed opportunity.

Conveniently, a head injury catapults her into an alternate universe where she chose her education over her love life. It’s a classic “be careful what you wish for” sort of scenario. Kennedy’s life at the private school is everything she dreamed: she’s popular, she excels at everything, and she’s a shoe-in for her dream college. However, her family’s a mess, because her dad took the soulless corporate job he’d turned down in her timeline in order to pay for her schooling. All of this turned this private school Kennedy into someone this Kennedy doesn’t like or respect.

The voice is good, and there’s a cute little ship, though it’s not the focal point of the story. Kennedy’s father and brother are also highlights of the novel. It’s interesting that choosing a boy over her education turns out to have been the right choice; some readers might not like that, but I do appreciate the fact that the novel highlights the far-reaching complexities of choices. The novel would have benefited from more development for said boyfriend, because legit all I know about him is his deep abiding love of fart jokes; considering that he’s the motivator driving much of the novel, it would have been more emotionally resonant if I got their connection. However, it’s nice that Kennedy reconnects with her friend in the end, albeit not as emotional as if she’d come to that in an organic way.

In Some Other Life was a great airplane read. For me, this basic set up only gets so good (because, while I like the formulaic nature of romance, the formulaic nature of “be careful what you wish for” I’m a bit less into), but Brody makes the somewhat stale concept fun. For all its length, it really didn’t feel all that long.

Kennedy Rhodes was one of the most relatable characters I've read in some time. The stress of high school, of mounting pressure to succeed, and questioning the choices you've made all combine to connect the reader to Kennedy. I do wish we could have somehow discovered the "Other Kennedy's" fate, but I do enjoy how Kennedy was able to grow, bringing the reader along to her moment of self-discovery and acceptance.

In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody is one of those awesome parallel life kind of stories. Think The Family Man (or Sliding Doors but I haven’t seen Sliding Doors) or Pivot Point. I love books that fall into this genre even though I am not entirely sure what the trope is called. I had a few expectations for In Some Other Life namely that I would gobble it up fast despite length and that I would really enjoy the characterization. This book nails it on both counts.

In Some Other Life follows this senior named Kennedy Rhodes. Kennedy is editor in chief of the newspaper at her high school. She has been dating this boy Dylan forever. For all intents and purposes she has a pretty great life. Only, she’s been carrying this secret regret. Namely that she did not say yes to Windsor Academy, this elite private school, when they mailed her an acceptance letter. Instead she chose public school for a boy. Too bad that boy, Dylan, is messing around with her best friend.

The book makes a full pivot when Kennedy bumps her head and wakes up in a world where she made the choice to go to Windsor Academy. In that world, she is at the top of her class. She’s well liked. Kennedy’s life seems pretty perfect in that other life. Of course, this being a book, we know that life isn’t perfect and we find that out as Kennedy finds out.

Kennedy Rhodes certainly does not make the best life choices always. I can’t fault her though, she’s young and learning. Most of us make bad choices too. What’s interesting is seeing how her choices play out in that other world. We also get to see that maybe what initially seems like the wrong choice was actually for the best in the long run. Kennedy is a well written character. She’s passionate about journalism and writing. She puts a lot of pressure on herself in both worlds. She also cares about being a good friend, for the most part. I felt like she was pretty relatable.

Jessica Brody’s In Some Other Life is a book that I read in like one day despite it being over 450 pages long. It is SUCH A FAST READ. The characterization is on point. Plus, the way she writes about Kennedy’s family really wins me over, especially Kennedy’s dad and little brother. I felt like this book ended up being a pretty feel good book. I would definitely recommend this for a relaxing read.

I loved the science in this book. I also loved how much it reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life. I loved that there were finally happy good parents in a YA novel. That seems harder and harder to find these days. I'm not big on cheating relationships I find them to be a bit overused in YA. I was disappointed that this book with such a cute premise, isn't really something I can sell to Middle Schoolers at book talks. My High Schoolers will probably love it though.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

very frivolous but fun. I mean, sure I wanted to kick the main character, Kennedy, in the ass multiple times, but she eventually sort of got a clue?

it was definitely what i was in the mood for today.

basically it's the multiverse theory played out as a teenage girl with relationship and the grass is always greener mentality problems.

some purposefully vague thoughts

1. never decide your future because of a boy's kiss when you're 14. TALK TO YOUR PARENTS. (not vague because you learn this relatively early)
2. don't be a jerk to fit in with friends who aren't worth your time.
3. don't compound a stupid decision by perpetuating it.

honestly thinking about this more the moral is actually that she was RIGHT in the decision she originally made but not because of the reasons she comes to understand as a smarter 18 year old. so you're left to understand that when making a decision between excellent prep school and 14 year old boy crush, you should always go with the boy. no! go with your education! learn to properly use capitalization UNLIKE ME.

sigh. this book is becoming more problematic for me.

I'm just going to say that I enjoyed it today for what it is - compete frivolity.

It's hard not to go through life - at least parts of it - without wondering "what if?" Kennedy has gone through high school and achieved great things for herself. She's editor of her award winning high school newspaper, and has big plans for college and her future career. But she always has the nagging "what if?" in the back of her mind. What if she hadn't chosen public school over the elite private school she wanted to attend?

After witnessing her boyfriend and best friend kissing, Kennedy has a bit of a meltdown and eventually rushes to the campus she could have attended. What if she had chosen differently and skipped the possibility of a relationship? While getting a glimpse into what could have been, Kennedy is knocked over and bumps her head. When she wakes up her world flips upside down, and the choice she wishes she had made years ago is suddenly a reality. Kennedy has to realize that things aren't always what they seem, and the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

THOUGHTS: I loved this sweet "what if?" story. It goes a long way in showing readers that things aren't always what they seem - in life and in the happy, smiling posts they see on social media. Life isn't always sunshine and happiness. For all the readers who have ever wondered what if I made a different choice, this is a great read!

Kennedy gets an opportunity to see what might have happened to her life if she had made a different choice her freshman year. I think students can relate to the idea that one decision may make or break their futures, and Kennedy's story shows that we can learn from the outcome of our choices and move on. A fun read.

I tried reading this book but I'm not feeling it. I usually love reading her stuff but with the different times I'm just need feeling this book.

Although this book features a much done-before "do-over" premise, it is done so with fresh fun characters that students will love.

I always enjoy an "In Some Other Life" story--a story with an alternate timeline where you can see what would have happened IF you had made a different decision. I have ever since I was young and watched the "Back to the Future" trilogy. There's just something about knowing that each of our decisions has an effect on our entire future and the future of everyone around us...that's crippling. Wait...maybe that's why I hate making decisions. Haha!

Anyhow, Kennedy's story is fairly predictable if you are a fan of this type of story and have read many of them as I have; however, that doesn't make the payoff any less satisfying. Jessica Brody is one of my favorite authors and she doesn't disappoint here. And somehow, her little brother characters are ALWAYS my favorite characters. Shout out to Frankie!

Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of alternate timeline tales and/or Jessica Brody.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This just wasn't done well. It was confusing and I hated the characters.

"In some other life" was very predictable to me. I knew the topic had been done before so I was waiting for an unexpected twist that never came. The story dragged in places and started getting repetitive. It did have a good ending though.

The premise of this book was quite unique. Kennedy wants to see what her life would be like if she had made one different decision that has haunted her. When she gets that opportunity, she discovers that no life is perfect and our decisions effect everyone around us. It was a predictable but fun read with a main character who started off pretty annoying but discovered herself and changed into a likable protagonist. The published version is shorter than I read, so I'm guessing the parts that dragged were shaved off to make the story more exciting. I ordered two copies for my library's teen collection and already know of several patrons I will be recommending this to.

This was a fun new version of the traditional Freaky Friday tale.

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, as I was nearing the end, I found myself reading more slowly in order to make it last a little bit longer!

For anyone who ever looks back at defining moments in life and wondered what things would be like if a different choice had been made (and who hasn't?), this book is perfect. Kennedy Rhodes, a senior at Southwest High School, is a high energy, ambitious teenager with dreams of attending Columbia University to pursue a degree in Journalism. She's the editor in chief of the Southwest Star, the high school newspaper that she saved from closing, for which she has won numerous awards. But she constantly wonders how much better her life would be if she had accepted a spot at the prestigious, private school, Windsor Academy.

She declined the offer before her freshman year because she was in love with a boy. Three years later, this boy cheated on her with her best friend, and she is certain she made the wrong decision. An accidental bump on the head while visiting the campus somehow sends her into some sort of parallel universe in which she had decided to attend Windsor Academy when she received the offer. But as she settles into the life that she was sure she was really meant to live, she quickly learns that nothing is perfect in any life and that her decisions have ramifications on all of the people around her.

I loved reading how Kennedy reacts to her new circumstances and found myself frequently stopping to consider what I would do if the same thing happened to me. The plot also offers a new perspective on decision making and how the people around us are impacted by choices we make. The story reminded me a lot of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, where the main character, George Bailey, learns what the world would be like if he had never been born.

The whole time I was reading this book I was thinking about how good it would be as a Disney movie. I thought it was super cute and it was easy to fly through. My only real problem with this book was that I could tell you the whole plot and how it would end (with the moral lessons and everything) before I even read the book. At 20, I have seen the "The grass is always greener on the other side, until I had a dream/am in an alternate dimension and realize it is not" done a million times in movies and tv shows, which just made the book a little repetitive. If I was in middle school and had not already seen this story line played out so many times, I think I would have absolutely loved this book. Not saying this as if I didn't enjoy this book, because I really did, just not as much as I would have in middle school.

I don't know what it was, but I tried to start this book so many times, and it was never able to keep my interest for longer than a couple pages. Maybe in the future I'll be able to actually finish the book but for now it's getting thrown on the (metaphorical) DNF pile

4.5 stars

What can I say other than I loved loved loved this book?! I could hardly put it down, and when I did I couldn't wait to get back to it. The story read a bit like Freaky Friday or one of those ones where by some freak accident the parent and child somehow magically swap bodies. Both retaining their essence of being, but by some twist of fate transferred into the other person's body where they must live life as them. Except instead of two totally different people body swapping, in In Some Other Life, the main character swaps with an alternate version of herself. Trippy, right?

Kennedy has a great life, until she doesn't. When things in Kennedy's seemingly perfect world begin to crash down around her she finds herself thinking a lot about her past. Those decisions that brought her to her here and now weigh heavy on her with a force of incredible regret. What if she'd done things differently- made different choices?

Then it's as if the powers that be hear Kennedy's cries of remorse and opt to give her that oh so lusted after chance at a redo. Rather than going with option A, what if she instead chose option B all those years ago? Well, as the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. Sometimes it just takes a change in perspective to realize it always is, no matter which yard you're standing in.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advanced review opportunity. I'm looking forward to explorer more books by this author.